Going all the way back to Plato and Aristotle, Europeans have theorized and even attempted to set up the optimal form of government. Aristotle divided all governments into one of three forms, each with its deviant version:
“The distinction between correct and deviant constitutions is combined with the observation that the government may consist of one person, a few, or a multitude. Hence, there are six possible constitutional forms (Politics III.7):
Form Correct Deviant
One Ruler Kingship Tyranny
Few Rulers Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Rulers Polity Democracy
I suppose we could make a case that our government has slipped from a polity into a democracy that Aristotle would consider a deviant form of government in which mob rule corrupts the correct governing of a state. But many contend that we had long ago slipped into an oligarchy that is controlled by the combination of the managerial class inhabiting the federal bureaucracy and corporate boardrooms.
Be that as it may, the outward form of government is portrayed as a democratic republic or representative democracy. But if an oligarchy has effectively captured permanent control over the federal government, then regardless of appearances, we are living under a regime that will not respond to our wishes or protests.
And this is not a surprising occurrence. Every historical instance of democratic rule has eventually devolved into some form of tyranny. Athens was overthrown by an oligarchy and Rome became essentially a military monarchy. I guess it was inevitable that eventually a powerful faction would decide to impose its will on a state as rich and powerful as the United States of America. The vast wealth was just too tempting.
But for us who remember the almost paradisical conditions that existed while the oligarchs had not yet consolidated their control over the levers of power it is problematic to know what to do going forward. Many have just given up and now adopt whatever dictates and fashions the oligarchy and its servants dictate. They do what is necessary to survive in the hive. Some people call these individuals “bugmen.” It’s a galling existence. At any point it might be necessary to allow yourself to be denounced because of your sex or race. You may even have to take a demotion in order to satisfy the diversity, equity and inclusion caprices of your employer. But you’ll do it to keep the stock options you’ve been given and the connections you need to get your kids in a “good school.”
Of course, your children are also at the whim of the weirdos who run these good schools. If things go poorly your son or daughter may end up as your daughter or son. Which is another way of saying psychologically broken, sexually mutilated and permanently sterile. And there is a very high probability that they’ll be taught to hate you and your ancestors for being the wrong color.
As you can see joining the hive is not without its sacrifices. And perhaps in the long run is a dead end for all but the true aristocracy. Then, the question is are there any alternatives?
Currently, the workaround most people resort to is moving to a Red State that resists the worst of the Left’s interference. Ron DeSantis in Florida has of late become the champion of Red State resistance. And consequently, hundreds of thousands of people have moved to Florida over the last couple of years from places like New York.
Another alternative is leaving for another country. This is a much riskier proposition. In most cases other countries are unsatisfactory to Americans because of economic and cultural concerns. And in fact, few places provide even the freedoms we still seem to enjoy here. Places like Hungary or the Czech Republic seem promising. There are signs that they value freedom and traditional culture. But it would still be making yourself a stranger in a strange land.
And finally, you can do nothing and hope that the country will somehow free itself from this subjugation we find ourselves living under. There are no historical precedents for this. But there are some circumstances that might provide some hope. Poor management and incompetent leaders are contributing to a relative weakening of the United States with respect to the other larger powers in the world. If America’s economic position should seriously deteriorate then it is very possible that the coalition that keeps the oligarchy in power could disintegrate and that would leave open the possibility that a different coalition could gain power and restore the freedoms that made the United States a desirable place to live.
Of course, this weakening could just as easily destabilize the country just as the military weakness of Rome destabilized that empire’s borders and allowed the Germanic tribes to overrun the western half of the empire. Our ruling elites have flooded the country with tens of millions of refugees and by delegitimating their police forces they have reduced the big cities to free-fire zones, where chaos reigns supreme. This environment may make it impossible to restore competent authority in large swaths of the country. If that happens leaving these areas for safer locales or even different countries may not be a choice but necessity.
It’s pretty hard to know which choice to take. Maybe the best advice is, keep your options open and wait for a tipping point to know which way to turn. But one thing for sure, don’t depend too much on any government. Have some good friends who have your back in an emergency. You’ll need them.
So, we may be living through another laboratory experiment in the devolution of a democratic society. Aristotle would not have recognized the trappings of our system as related to the Athenian experiment (although the Greek columns standing in front of our federal buildings would have looked familiar) but he would understand the transition from republic to oligarchy. Maybe he would have blamed it on giving women the vote. He mentioned that they shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Apparently, he was ahead of our time.
